Secrets of a Kind
by SummerStarWatcher
Summary: A story about Inara's past and present.  Will Inara chose Serenity's crew or the family she left behind so long ago? Post Serenity.
1. Chapter 1

The best thing 'bout tonight's that we're not fighting,

Could it be we've been this way before?

I know you don't think that I am trying,

I know you're wearing thin down to the core.

-Fall For You, Secondhand Serenade

Inara let the familiar ritual of preparing tea comfort her. As she felt the heat of the kettle dissipate, she let the rich, pungent smell of the authentic Shihonese tea leaves fill her nostrils. Her mouth watered in anticipation of the delectable taste, but she forced herself to wait. This tea was meant to be savored, as it was the last of her supply left. And even when they were back on a civilized planet where this quality of tea could be acquired, she wouldn't be able to buy more. She hadn't worked since the events on Miranda, and all of her possessions and savings were at the training house. So this really was her last cup of tea.

As she raised the cup of tea to her lips, a bedraggled Mal entered the kitchen, stopping short when he saw her. "Nara," he said in a sleep-roughened voice, making her smile. "What're you doin' up at this hour?"

She turned, taking the welcome sight of Mal wearing only loose-fitting sleep-pants and a confused expression. "Just making some tea."

"Can't you do that just as well in your shuttle?"

Now Inara stopped, taking time to formulate her response. Ordinarily, she would have made tea in her shuttle, but she loved the feel of this ship, it's atmosphere, it's aura, and chose instead to let Serenity calm her. But it was more complicated than that. How could she tell Mal that she was avoiding her shuttle, saturated as it was with memories and commitments? How could she tell him that she wanted to work again? Work for him, as part of his crew, instead of being a companion? Instead, Inara simply said, "I needed to feel Serenity tonight."

XXX

Mal relaxed and felt a smile creep onto his face, but forced it back, unwilling to admit that her answer pleased him. She took the same comfort from the ship as he did; so what, it didn't mean anything.

His beautiful Inara had turned back to the counter where her tea was waiting, a composed companion once more. But he lived for the moments that cool façade slipped and he was allowed to glimpse the emotion underneath.

Just moments ago, he had been able to look deep into her eyes, and was surprised by what was reflected there. Conflict, resentment, a touch of fear, but also longing and contentment. Shading every emotion was the cloud of secrecy that was never far from her.

But no animosity towards him, no hint of discomfort in that moment. So what was she hiding? Was she trying to forget? And what was she longing for? Mal's brain couldn't handle those heavy questions in the middle of the night, so he pushed them aside.

He broke the silence. "Might I try a taste of that fancy tea o' yours?"

She looked surprised, and a mite reluctant, but then offered him the cup with a smile.

"It's my favorite kind. It has a wonderful, rich flavor, and it always helps me clear my head."

Mal tried a sip. Maybe it was because he wasn't as cultured as Inara, but the tea seemed like nothing special to him. But if Inara liked it, it must be good.

He handed the cup back in time to see her eyes flick to the container of tea leaves as she sighed. That was something else to be investigated later; he filed it away in his memory.

"Like it?"

"Yep, well, I'll be headin' back to m' bunk now. Mal smiled, letting some of the warmth he felt for this woman creep into his voice. "G'night, Inara. Enjoy your Serenity."

XXX

Her Serenity. Inara liked the sound of that.

She looked back into her cup, and sighed. Her tea was almost gone, but it had served its purpose. For a moment, her problems had seemingly melted away, leaving a sense of quiet contentment in their place. The tea had worked its magic; in fact, it had worked far better than usual. Inara refused to attribute her newfound serenity to the man who constantly riled her up. They were always so good at fighting, it seemed impossible that he had helped to calm her down. _No,_ she thought,_ it must have been the tea._

But as Inara went back to bed, she had a hard time keeping her thoughts away from Mal.


	2. Chapter 2

Three weeks later

The crew was sitting around the kitchen table, finishing up their evening meal.

"Okay, folks," said Mal, standing up. "We're headed to Persephone to see about husslin' up some work. This boat's about outa fuel and a couple other necessary things Kaylee's been naggin' at me about. When we get to Persephone, you'll all have a day or so leave, while I go and check in with –"

"You can't be going to Badger again!" interrupted Kaylee. "You remember what happened the last few times we went to him?"

"If you'd let me finish, Kaylee, you'd heard I ain't plannin' on goin' to Badger. I was gonna say, while I go check in with Andria about some work."

"Captain, are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, I know Badger ain't the best, but at least he pays us something…"

"Zoe, I know Andria don't pay great, but Kaylee's right. Look what happened our last few jobs for Badger. At least Andria is reliable."

"Well I for one like gettin' paid. Whoever's gonna do that best, well, I say go to 'em," added Jayne. "And Badger don't seem to like us enough to pay us, so I say we try this Andria."

"Thank you, Jayne, for your valuable input." Mal said sarcastically.

"Can we just hold on for a second here? This Andria doesn't have a habit of shooting you like that Patience woman does, does she? I really do not like having to patch you up all the time."

"No, no, nothin' like that, Doc. Like I said, Andria is quite reliable." Mal put his hands on his hips. "Any more questions?"

River raised her hand. "Can I go with you? Please?" She gave Mal a beseeching grin.

"What, you don't want some free time?"

"I think Simon and Kaylee would rather I went with you."

The young couple hurried to protest.

"No, River, we'd love to have you along—"

"We could all go out to eat, it wouldn't be any bother—"

River gave her brother a look. "You can't lie to me, Simon. I know."

Mal laughed. "Well, alright then, li'l albatross. I guess you're coming with me."

"Do you want me along too, sir?" Zoe asked, standing up.

"No," whispered River to Mal. "Her mind is too clean and focused, it hurts both of us."

"Nope, Zoe, I think the albatross and me have got things covered. You go ahead and enjoy your free time."

Zoe sat down again, her face the stony façade it had become in Wash's absence.

River whispered to Mal again, uncharacteristically solemn. "We need to fix her. That will be my project." She was serious for a moment, before giggling and dancing off to bug Simon about Kaylee again.

Persephone

"Um, Mal," Inara called, hurrying to catch up with him and River. "Can I go with you?"

"What, 'Nara, you don't have any clients?" Mal said, turning to face her.

"Not today." She didn't elaborate.

"And you don't got anything to do with some free time here?"

"Well, Mal, I don't have any money, and so—"

Mal tossed her a bag filed with coins. "Here. Get somethin' to eat, have some fun. We'll see you back on the ship tomorrow with everyone else."

"Mal, I can't just take your money!" Inara was outraged. "And besides, I'd… I'd rather go with you," she said in a rush.

Mal looked at River, who was grinning and nodding enthusiastically. "Well, awright then, come along." He gestured for Inara to catch up. "Won't be nearly as much fun, but you had your choice," he grumbled.

Inara smiled, but said nothing.


	3. Chapter 3

Andria was nothing like Inara expected. She was expecting someone old and gray, like Patience. Andria was the opposite. Short and slender, with curves in all the right places and a head full of fiery red curls, Andria was a beauty.

The two women sized each other up for a moment, then both turned to Mal. Andria's calculating look easily transformed into a light, flirtatious smile. "Like what you see, Mal?" she asked teasingly.

Inara's chest tightened in jealousy.

XXX

From the moment he walked in Andria's door, Mal started remembering all the things he had forgotten about her.

The inside of her little boutique smelled overpoweringly floral, a scent Mal used to enjoy. Now, however, he found himself preferring a light musk, mixed with exotic incense, like how Inara's shuttle smelled…

Andria herself was the same as always: small, slight, and gorgeous. Back when they were running more jobs for her, Mal had indulged in many nights spent with her. But now, he could hardly imagine it. Maybe if she were taller, curvier, with fuller, redder lips… if she wore skirts and scarves instead of tight fitting black all the time… if her skin had a bit more color… if her hair was black… Mal realized who he was describing, and looked sideways at Inara.

Inara and Andria seemed to be staring each other down. Then, by some unspoken agreement, they both looked at him, Inara with her usual composed expression, Andria with that sassy smile of hers.

"Like what you see, Mal?"

He smiled weakly. "Mm. So, Andria, don't know if you've guessed it, but we're here for a job. Got anythin'?"

"Oh, Mal, your timing is impeccable, as always." She flashed him a foxy grin. "I have the perfect job for you!"

"Awright, then, lets hear it," Mal said, leaning back against the counter.

"Well. You know the mining planet Valerian?" Mal nodded. "And you know how hard it is to find big amounts of altanum." Mal nodded again. "Well, see, this one tiny town just struck a huge vein of altanum. Before, they were practically pannin' the river for the dust, so they got no way of dealing with such riches. All you gotta do is just waltz right into town and lift all their stock. Easy."

Mal was beginning to be glad he decided to go to Andria instead of Badger. This job did sound perfect: easy, but well worth the while.

Andria was rushing to the back of the shop. "Here, just let me get some paper…" She hurried back, setting the paper on the counter by Mal and scribbling something. She was standing close. Too close. Mal sensed Inara tensing behind him.

XXX

_Grrr._ Inara gritted her teeth. That woman was so blatant, standing so close to Mal, practically rubbing her body against his. And dressed as she was in tight black clothing that emphasized the perfection of her petite body, how could Mal not respond? Just the thought of the two of them together was enough to make Inara seethe.

Just then, Mal shifted away from Andria. He looked up and caught her eye, then smiled briefly. Inara felt herself relaxing into the warmth of his gaze.

"Mal? Mal," Andria was trying to recapture his attention. He looked down at her, then glanced back up and winked at Inara. That tiny gesture comforted her more than she cared to admit.

"I wrote down the name of the town you'll be targeting, and where the raw altanum should be stored. Also, here's the amount that should be there, but it's been a few days since I got my information, so be prepared for more." Andria smiled up at Mal. She folded the paper and tucked it into his shirt pocket, patting his chest in a familiar manner. Inara longed to smack the self-satisfied smirk off the smaller woman's face, an unusually violent urge.

"Great, thanks, Andria. Gotta time limit?" Mal started towards the door.

"Nope, just as soon as possible."

"Great," Mal said again, beckoning to River, who had been exploring the shop's back rooms. "Oh, and Andria?"

"I know, Mal, I haven't forgotten. I'll pay you platinum this time, and lots of it."

"How much?" Mal asked skeptically.

"Enough, Mal, depending on how much you bring back," Andria said, walking over to them. "You don't like my price, then sell the cargo to somebody else. Raw altanum is easy to offload. But," she ran her finger down Mal's chest, "I doubt they'll be offering the same… _deals_ as I am." She put her hands on her hips and leaned forward, thrusting her breasts at him.

XXX

Inara was so going to kill her.

Mal felt the tension in the air increase with this new statement. Inara was about ready to throttle Andria.

So he took a step back and slid an arm around Inara's waist, trying to signal to Andria that he was taken, in a way. To his surprise, Inara relaxed into his hold, leaning into his embrace like she needed his support. He did not see the smile she gave Andria, the smile of a victor.

Mal turned to the door, keeping Inara at his side. "Thanks, Andria. See ya soon," he called over his shoulder, ignoring Andria's protests for him to stay.

"Well, that didn't take nearly as long as I was expectin'. Now we have the rest of the day to have some fun! What'dya say, ladies?" Mal slung his arm around a giggling River's shoulders, and pulled Inara closer to his side. "Let's have a night on the town!"


	4. Chapter 4

It was only mid-afternoon local time, and Persephone's endless possibilities of entertainment opened up before them.

"Let's go to the market!" Inara suggested.

Mal readily agreed. "And ya know what? Wonderful captain that I am, I'll buy both of you something you want, so long as it fits on the ship."

"No ranches?" River giggled.

"No ranches."

"No ships?"

"No ships." Mal said, looking mock-irritated.

"No houses?" asked Inara, joining the game.

"No houses. Alright, as you two have proved, it was clearly a oversight on my part to lettin' you two choose. _I_ will pick something for each of you and you'll just have to live with it, whatever it is."

"But what fun is that?" River started to say flatly. She broke off, eyes wide with amazement. They had entered Persephone's outdoor market.

Mal, catching sight of her expression, chuckled. "Quite a sight, ain't it, li'l albatross?"

Truth be told, the bazaar was a wonder even to those who had seen it before. Stretching almost half a mile, it was filled with vendors selling everything from food and clothing to livestock and property on border planets. Throngs of people filled the market, making the most crowded place on Persephone. The sheer number of people was astounding.

While Mal was looking around at the market and congratulating himself on setting this up, Inara was watching River. The girl had never been in a crowd of this magnitude, and though Inara knew she had been able to build mental shields, she wasn't sure they would hold up in this barrage of thoughts and emotions.

So when River's astonished gaze turned into one of ever-increasing panic, Inara noticed. She grabbed the girl's shoulders, trying to stop her shaking. River turned her head, pining Inara with a look of supreme terror. Inara forced herself to relax and tried to send calming thoughts to River. It seemed to be working for a moment, until the girl started to thrash against the hold, desperate to be free. She knew that in just a few moments, River would turn to violence. "Mal, a little help here!" Inara cried, allowing some of her own panic to seep into her voice. "Would you _pay attention!_"

Mal jerked around, taking in the situation before him. There was only moments before River lost it completely, so they had to act quickly. "Inara, keep trying to calm her down. I'll keep her from maiming half the people here." He grabbed the frantic girl in a bear hug, as Inara tried to recapture River's gaze. As their gazes connected, Inara felt something she would never be able to explain.

It was as if all the chaos couldn't be contained inside River's mind, and it was leaking out. All of a sudden, Inara was overwhelmed by a wave of jumbled thoughts, none of them hers. But, unlike River, she could distinguish her own thoughts from the mass. She made her thoughts slow down, to be calm and controlled, hoping that would flow back through the connection and calm River's thoughts too. It seemed to work. As the chaos subsided, Inara and River returned to the present.

After a few tense, quiet moments, River laughed. "Today is going to be _fun_!" She said delightedly.

Inara gave Mal a relieved smile, but he didn't reciprocate.

"This was a mistake," he whispered. "Remember what happened last time we took River out?"

"Mal, River is a capable young girl who spends far too much time on the ship. She needs to interact with other people!"

"Yeah, but it sure won't go well if she has another fit…"

"Come on, come _on_!" River was saying turning back to stare at the two adults. "Let's go!"

Inara looked at Mal, conveying with a glance that he was to keep his mouth shut and let River enjoy herself. She then turned and followed the girl into the market.

"Aw, hell," Mal said, hurrying to catch up.

Inara immediately gravitated toward a tea, spice, and perfume vendor, inhaling deeply. She turned to River, smiling. "It smells so good!"

River picked up a jar of spice and started to breathe in."

"River, wait! That's-" Inara was cut off by violent sneezes from River. "—pepper," she finished weakly, smiling sympathetically. She turned to examine the perfumes.

Now that her bout of sneezes was over, River danced over to Mal and stood on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear. "Gold canister, red flowers on a black background." She giggled in his ear, causing Mal to jump back with a curse.

"What do ya mean, gold canister-"

"Shh! You know." River smiled at him confidently, then joined Inara by the perfumes.

_Gold canister with red flowers._ The container River had spoken of was right there, on the second shelf. Mal picked it up and read the label. _Tea._ He flashed back to that night three weeks ago, when Inara had been making tea in Serenity's kitchen.

_"Might I try a taste of that fancy tea o' yours?"_

_ She looked surprised, and a mite reluctant, but then offered him the cup with a smile._

_ "It's my favorite kind. It has a wonderful, rich flavor, and it always helps me clear my head."_

_ He handed the cup back in time to see her eyes flick to the container of tea leaves as she sighed._

He put two and two together. Inara must be all out of tea, and River wanted him to buy her some more. But why didn't the companion just buy herself more? What did he have to do with anything? That's when he remembered the conversation from earlier that day.

_"And you don't got anything to do with some free time here?"_

_ "Well, Mal, I don't have any money, and so—"_

_ He tossed her a bag filed with coins. "Here. Get somethin' to eat, have some fun. We'll see you back on the ship tomorrow with everyone else."_

_ "Mal, I can't just take your money!"_

Ah. That explained everything. River wanted him to buy Inara the tea, because she couldn't buy any for herself. But the trick was that he had to be sneaky about buying the tea, and about giving it. Mal smiled, looking forward to the challenge.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N Sorry it's taken me soo long to update! There was a series of unfortunate events that culminated in my being far too busy to rewrite chapters that I literally lost. To summarize, my writing journal is now on a bus somewhere in Seattle. Also, I just moved and started school again, so that complicated things as well. I promise I will update more often from now on! Thanks for the patience!

XXX

The next morning, the crew reassembled on Serenity.

"Well, we got a job or not?" Jayne asked in his usual blunt manner.

"Yup, we got a job, and a mighty fine one it is, too," Mal replied. "River, you head on up to the bridge and set a course for Valerian while I fill everybody else in on the plan."

River dashed off.

"Valerian? Too close to the central planets for my comfort," grumbled Jayne. "What's worth stealin' on Valerian?"

"Only their stores of raw altanum," Simon said, looking at Jayne like he was an idiot. "Altanum is a lightweight metal that is extremely heat- and pressure-resistant, which makes it ideal for ships' hulls. Entering atmo can cause damage, but not if the ship has a thin coating of altanum on it. Demand for it in its raw form is very high. However, veins of it have only been discovered on Valerian and its moon, Tybalt, though even there it is not very plentiful. Altanum fetches a very high price, so clearly, that is what we are going to steal."

"_We_?" returned Jayne, beginning to get bothered by this know-it-all doctor.

"Well, then, _you_ are going to steal it."

"Thank you for clearing that up," Mal interrupted what was sure to become another argument. "Now, about the plan. The town we're targeting is tiny; they've been living on the edge of poverty for a while now. They've just hit a huge vein of altanum, and have been bringing it in as fast as they can. But, they don't have and kind of secure facility to cope with all the metal being brought out of the mines. So right now, it's all being stored in some folks' barn, with two or three men guardin' it, armed with rifles."

"Aw, that's too easy," Jayne complained. "All we gotta do is just go in there and shoot up the place, take the goods, and go."

"Jayne, I'd rather not be known as a mass murderer," Mal said. "That's where the plan comes in. We park Serenity in town, say we just need to restock and refuel. Zoe, Inara, and Kaylee, beautiful women that they are, will find the barn and the men guardin' it, and start talkin' to 'em. Kaylee'll report back concerning the situation. Zoe 'n' Inara will take the guards hostage-"

"I'll do _what_?" Inara looked dubiously at Mal.

Mal returned her glance. "Inara. You said you wanted to help with this one. It'll be fine; you'll have Zoe with you."

"Mal, I didn't think you'd actually involve me in the violence."

"So now it's my fault, that I gave you a part in this job that you don't like."

"Well, I thought you'd take into account my preferences, at the very least! I don't feel comfortable taking someone hostage, even if Zoe does most of the dirty work."

"We can't all do what we want. Sometimes we just have to suck it up an' do what the boss says."

"I know that, Mal. I though we were more of a team!"

"We are a team, an' I'm the team leader! That means you do what I say!"

"Well fine then, I don't want to be part of this job anymore."

"Fine! You can have Kaylee's part. Just make sure you're back on Serenity by the time the violence starts. Kaylee, how'd ya feel about takin' some folks hostage?"

"Just fine, captain, as long as Zoe's there too."

"Awright then, where was I… Zoe and Kaylee take the guards hostage while Jayne and I load up Serenity with the goods, then we all get on the ship and get the hell outa there." Mal concluded his plan with a grin. "Sound good?"

"Yeah, but how do we know someone else hasn't already heard of this and taken the goods?" Zoe asked.

"Excellent point, Zoe. Towns on that planet tend to be isolated, seein' as the veins of altanum are so far apart. Very little is exchanged between towns, and a shuttle comes every two weeks to pick up whatever's been brought up. Andrea heard about this from her brother, who captains one of the ships used to transport the altanum off planet. It's supposed to be confidential; the chance of someone else takin' our job is as small as Jayne's—"

"Hey!" Jayne glared at Mal.

"Relax, I was going to say consience. Now, any other questions?"

"Um, yes. When do things ever go according to your plan, captain?"

"Well, Simon, that's where you come in. You fix up whoever's got shot. Not that there's gonna be any injuries," Mal hurriedly said, seeing Inara's slightly panicked look. "Everything's gonna go smooth, we'll get the cargo, and we'll be back on Persephone in just a few days."

"Awright, then, when do we go?" Jayne shifted impatiently. "I wanna see this altanum."

"We're already on our way to Valerian. Just relax, Jayne, it'll take us a while to get there." Mal turned to the rest of the crew. "So everybody's clear on what they're doin'? Great." Everyone got up and slowly dispersed, retiring to their bunks for the night.

"Um, Mal." Inara stood behind him expectantly.

"What?"

"Which town are we going to? There are many on Valerian, so I was wondering-"

"Ah, lets see..." Mal scanned the paper Andrea had given him. "The mayor's some guy called Asahel. Funny name, that. It's some little town called… ah, Pemberton? Yeah, that's it." He looked up and saw that Inara had gone pale. "What?"

Inara bit her lip nervously. "Mal, I really don't think we should do this job."


	6. Chapter 6

Mal looked at the companion like she was crazy. "Whyever not? It's the perfect job; it's not like anything's gonna happen."

"No, Mal, I just think it's petty to take away people's hard-earned reward, when they deserve it so much, after struggling for so long." Inara took a deep breath and prayed Mal wouldn't push her for the real reason behind her sudden change of heart.

Mal frowned. "So all of a sudden, you think it's bad to steal? No, Inara, tell me the truth."

She avoided his eyes and silently cursed. Couldn't Mal ever just believe her? "That is the truth."

He crossed his arms over his chest, beginning to look annoyed. "Well, you haven't convinced me. Of course we're gonna do this job; it's the best one we've had in longer than I care to remember. Now it's your choice, whether you help or I get someone else to do your part. But one way or another, this job is getting done." Mal turned and started to walk away.

"Mal, wait. I'll do it. I'll do my job." This way, at least, she'd still have some control over the plan, she told herself.

"Fine." Mal didn't even pause as he left the room.

Inara sighed. What had she gotten herself into?

XXX

Several days later, on Valerian

Inara carefully picked her way through the muddy streets of Sealith. She glanced up, peering through her veil to catch a glimpse of Mal and Jayne, confidently striding into the general store. So far, no one had questioned their presence in town. So far.

Kaylee interrupted her musings. "Inara, I know we're supposed to be dressed real pretty so we can fool the men, but why're you wearin' that veil?" she asked.

Inara paused a moment before answering. "Sometimes men prefer a hint of something; sometimes it makes them want it even more."

"Oh. So should I get a veil, too?" Kaylee asked.

The companion laughed. "No, dear, you don't need a veil. It's probably too sophisticated for a small town like this; I probably look silly."

"No, Inara, you're pretty. I wish I had a job where I got to look pretty like you. Instead, I'm usually just covered in grease."

"Oh, Kaylee. You know Simon loves you no matter what you look like."

"Yes, but sometimes I just want to dress real pretty…" Kaylee trailed off, looking around the town.

Inara grinned beneath her veil. Kaylee never understood just how pretty she was, and just how much Simon appreciated that fact, even when she was covered in grease. They walked in silence for a few moments.

The sight of a certain large, powerful man striding down the street toward them made Inara duck her head and speed up. Kaylee, still taking in the sights around her, didn't notice the change of pace until Inara had gotten several yards away.

"Inara! Inara, wait up. Hey!"

At that moment, Inara could have gladly gagged Kaylee. Unfortunately, she didn't have a chance. The man swung around, capturing her with a fearsome, penetrating gaze. She was sure he could see right through her veil. She took a moment to compose her expression, and braced herself for what was to come.

The man walked over until he was directly in front of her. He raised a brawny arm, and ripped off her veil. He sucked in a breath at the sight of her composed, emotionless face. Something unreadable flashed through her eyes.

"Inara." His voice was deep, gravelly, beginning to betray his advanced years. "It really is you. Are you here with these strangers?"

She nodded slowly, biting her lip and looking down.

"Have you nothing to say to me after all these years?"

Inara took a deep breath and looked up, meeting his questioning gaze with a reluctant one of her own, a tentative, forced smile on her lips. "Hello, Papa."

Kaylee's jaw dropped.


	7. Chapter 7

River was creating quite a stir, dashing down Main street in her leggings and a bright shirt she borrowed from Kaylee. She had no time for the townfolks' thoughts, though. She had to find her crew.

It was her fault. It was all her fault. She should have been turned outwards, looking around and ahead for an indication of a possible hitch in the plan. Instead, she had been focused inwards, repairing the damage done to her mental shields by the crowds in Persephone's market. She would never forgive herself if anything happened to any of them because of her mistakes.

It was all falling apart; the pieces would never be put together again if she couldn't find Kaylee and Zoe shortly.

River increased her speed, streaking through the muddy streets of Sealith.

XXX

Kaylee, on the other hand, was still frozen in stunned silence. Inara's father was here, in this tiny town? But Inara was from Sihnon, wasn't she? How could her father be here? Kaylee's confused thoughts kept her occupied, nearly unaware of the tense conversation occurring just a few feet away.

XXX

Conversation was not an apt term, Inara decided. Conversation implied two sides, give and take. This was more of an angry lecture. But maybe angry was the wrong term, she thought ruefully, attempting to ignore the voice blistering her ears with its accusations and judgments. There was a reason she hadn't wanted to do this job, and this was it. She had spent years avoiding a confrontation with her father, but those long years had apparently only amplified his anger now.

"… you have ignored us for years! You haven't even checked in, and you missed important events you should have been here for. Your grandmother died, your mother died, and I became mayor. You didn't even know! Your own family, and you didn't see fit to send me a wave or a few credits every now and then! You know how hard life is here! And yet you, the big, successful companion, you couldn't spare a thought for your family after you left this town. We gave up so much for you, and this is how you repay us?" Asahel stopped, face red.

Inara gave a small gasp of fury. This was too much. "How much _you_ gave up for _me_? You were paid to have me taken off your hands. You did nothing for me!"

Her father cut in again. "Regardless. You are here to steal from me!"

Inara blanched. "What makes you say that?" she asked carefully. Had he figured out their plan?

"The strangers in town are here to steal from me. You are with them,"

So he had found out. Inara swallowed with difficulty, her mouth suddenly gone dry with fear for Mal. "What have you done?" she asked, half afraid of hearing the answer.

He looked at her coldly. "What is usually done with thieves in this town. Took them to the jail to await a tribunal at dawn tomorrow."

She bit her lip. Tribunals in this town were rarely fair; whichever way the mayor voted was how most of the townsfolk voted. If it was up to her father, Mal and the rest of the crew would hang tomorrow. She looked around to tell Kaylee to run back to the ship and warn River, only to find Kaylee was nowhere to be seen.

XXX

Meanwhile, River had found Kaylee. She paid no attention to Inara, engaged in a shouting match with her father, but instead tugged Kaylee around the corner. The mechanic looked at her bemusedly.

"River? Shouldn't you be with the ship?"

"They put a launch lock on us. It's fairly primitive, so you should be able to bypass it pretty easily. Do it as fast as you can."

Kaylee couldn't keep up. "River, what… what's going on? Why do they have a launch lock on us? Did you know the mayor is Inara's father?"

River sighed. "I have to get Mal. Can you go disable the launch lock? Now?"

Kaylee nodded. "But River, what's happening? Where's Mal?"

"The townsfolk have Mal and the others. You need to get back to Serenity as fast as you can. I have to go." River paused just long enough to make sure Kaylee understood, and then she was off again. She had to get close enough to Mal to tell him what was happening and help the crew get away. And she had to do it now.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Oh my gosh, it has been so many months since I've updated! I'm so sorry for the wait, things just kinda caught up with me and then I was terribly busy with school and work and everything, and when I wasn't busy I was recovering from being busy. Suffice to say, I've had a rather hellish year so far. But here is the next chapter, and I've just about got the rest of the story written, so updates should be much more common now. In fact, I'm gonna say that as soon as I get 3 reviews on this chapter, I'll post the next one. There's some incentive to review, eh?

Anyway, thank you so much for your patience. With any luck, the story will be finished withing the next month, if not sooner. Depending, of course, on the number of reviews I get ;)

Much love, and I'm sure I will see you all again soon,

~Star

XXXX

Mal paced the aisles in the general store, pretending to inspect the goods on the nearly empty shelves. Sounds from outside were muted in the dusty, dark store, making every sound from inside the shop stand out in the quiet atmosphere. Mal's shoulders tensed at the shock of booted footsteps echoing hollowly on the wooden floorboards, accompanied by a sharp voice.

"What are you doin' in here, stranger?"

Mal turned and faced the large man behind him, recognizing him as the owner of the general store. Now was the moment of truth; Mal prepared to tell the story they had agreed upon. "Well, our ship's havin' a few problems and we had to set down somewhere. Me'n the rest of the crew decided to head into town an' see what there is to see, while our mechanic stays with the ship. She'll find us when we're good to go." Having said his piece, Mal took a deep breath and hoped it would go over smoothly.

His hopes were unfounded. The man's response came quickly, crushing the idea of a nice, easy job where everything went according to plan.

"Mm. An' I'm thinkin' I don't buy it."

Fear snaked through Mal's veins. Had they been discovered? "May I ask, don't buy what, exactly?"

"You know what. I'm thinkin' it may be a good idea for you to wait an' see the mayor." The shopkeeper grabbed Mal with a large, meaty hand and exerted pressure, dragging him through the back door of the shop and into the dusty alley behind.

"Where exactly are we goin'?" Mal decided it was useless to struggle against such a large opponent, and so quietly complied with the man's unspoken demand.

"To the jail."

"Now, see , I ain't done nothin' wrong. My ship's broke an' we needed to stop." Mal tried to keep the bluff in place, hoping to save his crew, yet knowing it was futile as the response came.

"Shut up!" The shopkeeper shook Mal roughly, continuing to pull him along. "I don' wanna hear any more from you."

With that, Mal decided it was time to act. He swung his fist around in a fierce right hook, catching the man right in his jaw. His head snapped back and he stumbled back a few steps, letting go of his prisoner with a dazed look on his face. Mal dusted off his hands and turned around.

And ran right into two more men.

He cursed and ducked as one of the men threw a punch, then kicked him in the gut and hit him in the face as he doubled over. Seeing his friend's fate, the other man leapt into the fray. Blows were exchanged for a time until finally the dust settled and revealed Mal, covered in dust and blood, held by only one of his assailants with a pistol cocked and aimed directly at his head. The other had joined the shopkeeper as an unconscious lump on the alley floor.

"Get up," the man growled at Mal, and gestured with the gun.

Mal slowly got to his feet, hands in the air, and face betraying nothing.

The man grinned, showing yellowing teeth. "You're gonna get yours now. Let's go see your fellows in the brig, now, shall we?"

"I don't think so," Mal answered placidly.

A look of confusion crossed the other man's face. "What you say?"

"I said, I don't think we'll be headin' to the jail," Mal clarified, speaking slightly louder than was necessary. "I think in a few moments, you'll be joinin' your friends there in the dust, and I'll be on my merry way."

Gesturing threateningly with the gun, the man took a step towards Mal. "You's crazy, that's what—" He broke off in the middle of his sentence, interrupted by a rather loud thud. His eyes rolled up into his head and he collapsed, falling forward onto his face and revealing a fresh wound on the back of his head.

Behind him stood River, calmly holding a somewhat bloody rock she had just used to knock the townsman out.

Mal grinned at the girl. "Nice timing, li'l albatross. Now, where're the others?"

"Held. Inara's handling it. We have to go," she said, and Mal heard the urgency in her voice.

"Alrigh' then, you lead the way."

She seemed to be looking through him as she murmured, "Good. You have sense. Not like the others." She scowled briefly, then turned and strode off.

Mal shook his head and reminded himself not to take her strangeness too seriously, then followed the girl down the alleyway.


	9. Chapter 9

Meanwhile, in the town jail, Jayne was causing trouble.

"Gorramit!" He shouted, shaking the door to the cell. "We done nothin' to deserve this! Let us out of this gorram jail or there'll be hell to pay for it!"

"Jayne." Zoe's censure came from the back of the cell where she sat, hidden in the shadows.

He turned, scowling at the woman. "Shut it, Zoe, you know I don't like to be trapped in someplace. Let me out!" he shouted, returning to the cell door. "Filthy lot of cowards, locking up a man who ain't done nothin' wrong!"

A man in uniform strode up to the cell. He sneered at its occupants, brandishing his gun. "You better step away from that door, man, or I'll get annoyed with you. You don't want to see me annoyed, because I can get rather…out of control. So step back and sit down, or I'll make you regret the day you called me a coward." He rapped Jayne's knuckles on the bars and smirked as the mercenary growled in pain.

Then his expression changed to one of terror as Jayne reached through the bars and managed to get his hand in the guard's collar, twisting it and lifting him up onto his tiptoes. Jayne bared his teeth and spoke softly. "You are going to put down your gun right now." The weapon clattered onto the floor. "Good. Now you are going to hand over your keys, or I swear right now I will choke the life out of you. They will find your body on the floor, and they will punish me, but that sure won't help you out, now, will it?

The guard gurgled, unable to even so much as nod his head. He unclipped his key ring, passing the keys through the bars and into the cell before allowing them to fall to the floor.

Zoe stepped forward and scooped them up. "Thanks," she said, smiling coldly. She reached around and unlocked the door, then pulled it open, looking expectantly at Jayne.

He looked at the now-purple face of the guard, twisting the shirt just a little tighter, then released his grip and allowed the man to fall, gasping, to the floor. Dusting off his hands, he looked at Zoe, who gestured impatiently at the open door.

Once outside the cell, the pair headed for the exit. But first, Zoe knelt next to the fallen guard and picked up the pistol. "We'll be taken this, too," she told him, as she checked to see how many rounds were loaded.

"Come on!" hissed Jayne, already at the door to the front part of the jail. He was sneaking peeks through the small window there, and relayed what he had seen as Zoe strode silently down the hall towards him. "Only two men out there, one at the desk to the left of this door and the other standing up on the right, watching something outside. He looks like a real bastard, can I have him?"

Zoe nodded her assent as she stepped up beside him, careful not to be seen through the window. She inserted the key in the lock and turned it slowly, then put her hand on the handle and counted down with her fingers. Three, two, one, go!

She pulled down on the handle and Jayne kicked the door open, bursting through and catching the two men by surprise. He jumped on the one to the right and, with a few well-placed blows and the aid of a chair, soon had the man unconscious on the floor. Zoe meanwhile, had come through right after him, and had the man behind the desk held at gunpoint. "Thanks for your hospitality," she said, "but I think we'll be goin' now." She walked over and used the butt of the pistol to knock the man out, allowing him to slump off his chair and onto the floor behind the desk. She looked at Jayne and nodded, and they both went over to the door.

XXX

Meanwhile, on Serenity

Kaylee had raced back to her ship after River's news, hardly pausing to wait for the cargo bay doors to open before she was through them and onboard. She ran through the familiar decks and was halfway up to the bridge when she was joined by Simon.

"Kaylee? Kaylee, is everything alright? Where are the others? What happened?" He ran after her.

She tried to explain what had happened as they ran though the ship. "We were in town, just like we were supposed to be. But, then, this man said he was Inara's father, and they were arguing, and then River found me. She said they put a launch-lock on the ship and that I had to disable it, and that the townspeople had the others. Oh, Simon, somehow they found us out!" The pair reached the bridge, and Kaylee tapped a few things onscreen, then lay down on her back and slid under the control panels and began messing with the wires there.

The doctor shook his head, trying to process all this new information. "So, River left the ship to warn you all that we have been discovered, told you to undo the launch lock, went off the save the captain and the others, and Inara is arguing with her father who is apparently here and not on Sihnon like we all thought?"

"Mm-hm," came the muffled response.

"I see," Simon said, then sighed and gave up trying to understand for the time being. "Need any help?"

Kaylee came back out to smile at him. "Sure. I need my pliers and my wire cutters, and… oh, will you just bring me my coveralls? Everything I need is in the pockets."

Simon ran off to get it, still puzzling through the developments in their situation here on Valerian.


End file.
